Tamarack County

A Novel

Faced with a series of dark occurrences that are linked to a twenty-year-old murder, private investigator Cork O' Connor must stop a vengeful force before his family and friends pay the ultimate price.

Opinion

From the critics

Community Activity

Comment

Tamarack County is, as usual, a blend of mystery, police procedural, Native American mysticism and family dynamic. The main plot is an ugly crime that involves Cork and his family. Everyone in this book seemed to struggle: Cork as father and former lawman, grappling with age and loneliness. His daughter Annie, knocked off course toward being a nun by her first passionate affair. His son Stephen, torn between his own first love and becoming a healer. His other daughter Jenny, struggling to be a writer while raising an adopted Ojibwe son.

I loved this quote from LaPointe: "Anger, hate, jealousy envy, fear. Fill your pockets with these heavy stones and you spend your life trying not to drown. Throw them away, and you float."

Very good background on the natives of rural Minnesota. Can't quite believe a private investigator goes roaming around amidst the natives unarmed but that is the authors prerogative. The depth of the ice and cold in the northlands in winter has to change people. What do you do when it is that cold and nasty and why do we subject ourselves to this habitat? There are a growing number of authors telling us tales of the north and they seem to all relate to mayhem!

Having no knowledge of the Ojibwe Native Americans, I found Krueger's brief descriptions of their; heritage culture, customs, rituals, religious pursuits, beliefs and individual characters, etc, very informative. I was also impressed with the creativity of the use of the aforementioned as a setting and back-drop for the storyline and plot, as well as social issues such as ritual religious ideology, verses traditional religious belief, of gay/ lesbian. Although there is a good crime tale, and Corcoran O'Connor are key to the novel, I'm not fond of of the inclusion of children in a psuedo Nancy Drew capacity in any adult murder mystery.

*** 1/2 stars As a blizzard swells just days before Christmas, the car belonging to the wife of a retired local judge is discovered abandoned on a rural road in Tamarack County. After days of fruitless effort, the search-and-rescue team has little hope that she?ll be found alive, if at all. Cork O?Connor, former sheriff and now private investigator, is part of that team. Early on, Cork notices small things about the woman?s disappearance that disturb him. But when the beloved pet dog of a friend is brutally killed and beheaded, he begins to see a startling pattern in these and other recent dark occurrences in the area. After his own son is endangered, Cork understands that someone is spinning a deadly web in Tamarack County. At the center is a murder more than twenty years old, for which an innocent man may have been convicted. Cork remembers the case only too well. He was the deputy in charge of the investigation that sent the man to prison. With the darkest days of the year at hand, the storms of winter continue to isolate Tamarack County. Somewhere inside drifting snow, a vengeful force is at work. And Cork has only hours to stop it before his family and his friends pay the ultimate price. **** This is the 13th Cork O'Connor mystery. This was not my favorite of the series, but I have become attached to Mr. Krueger's characters and always enjoy the Minnesota connection. Recommend strongly.

I loved this book. I think it's one of the best of the series. Tons of action and suspense involving Cork O'Connor and his family. I like how there were multiple storylines with his family. I always like the personal, character stuff in these mystery series. Even those who have not read the whole series would enjoy this book. The author explains much of each character's backstory but in an unobtrusive way so nothing is lost. SO glad I didn't give up on the series after Trickster's point.